A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; and a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue.

PROVERBS 17:4KJV
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Proverbs 17:4 (KJV)

What does Proverbs 17:4 mean?

Proverbs 17:4 teaches that people who are set on doing wrong are quick to listen to lies, and those who are dishonest are drawn to harmful or corrupt speech. The verse links a person's character with what they are willing to listen to and accept.

In the book of Proverbs, these sayings are collected as wisdom for everyday life, often from a father or teacher to a young listener. Here, the verse points out that there is a natural attraction between a corrupt heart and corrupt words—those who intend evil are open to being influenced by falsehood and troublemaking speech.

The Hebrew behind Proverbs 17:4

  • "doer" (רָעַע, ra‘a‘): This word means someone who acts wickedly or does evil, not just someone who makes a mistake. It highlights that the verse is about people who have chosen a path of wrongdoing.
  • "false" (אָוֶן, ’awen): This word refers to deceit, trouble, or wickedness. It shows that the "false lips" are not just mistaken but are speaking with intent to mislead or harm.
  • "liar" (שָׁקֶר, sheqer): This word means someone who deals in lies or falsehood. The verse links this kind of person with being receptive to a "naughty tongue."
  • "naughty" (הַוָּה, hawwah): This word can mean mischief, calamity, or destruction. It suggests that the "naughty tongue" is not just rude but speaks in a way that causes real harm or leads others astray.

Why Proverbs 17:4 matters

  • Proverbs 17:4 clarifies that what a person listens to reveals much about their character; it is not just about what people say, but also about what they are willing to accept and believe.
  • The verse warns that evil and deceit are not isolated—they attract and reinforce each other, making it easier for people to go further down a harmful path.
  • This proverb fits into the larger theme of Proverbs, which often contrasts the wise and the foolish, showing how choices in words and company shape a person's life.

Where else these words appear

“naughty” Hebrew H1942 · used in 16 verses

  • Job 6:2 Oh that my grief were throughly weighed, and my calamity laid in the balances together!
  • Psalms 52:2 Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
  • Psalms 94:20 Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law?

“ear” Hebrew H238 · used in 41 verses

  • Genesis 4:23 And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt.
  • Job 37:14 Hearken unto this, O Job: stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God.
  • Psalms 140:6 I said unto the LORD, Thou art my God: hear the voice of my supplications, O LORD.

“heed” Hebrew H7181 · used in 45 verses

  • 1 Samuel 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
  • Proverbs 1:24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;
  • Isaiah 49:1 Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.

“false” Hebrew H205 · used in 78 verses

  • Numbers 23:21 He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the LORD his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.
  • Psalms 41:6 And if he come to see me, he speaketh vanity: his heart gathereth iniquity to itself; when he goeth abroad, he telleth it.
  • Proverbs 21:15 It is joy to the just to do judgment: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.